Monday, September 24, 2012

Introducing Global Citizen

Technology can do a lot to improve the fortunes of those in poverty. Technology can build awareness through blogs like our own. The hope is that the awareness can prompt many into action.

Technology applications can also improve access to the world economy to the bottom billion. Online micro-credit platforms and mobile money transfer apps give the poor more opportunity than ever before.

Hugh Evans and Simon Moss have started a website called Global Citizen to build awareness and inspire action. The pair wrote this op-ed piece for the Huffington Post to promote their new website.

They're using technology that was pioneered in countries like the U.S. to fight poverty themselves. M-Pesa,
a mobile money transfer service for people without bank accounts, has
more than 17 million customers across sub-Saharan Africa. Ipaidabribe.com
has crowd-sourced more than 20,000 reports of officials who demanded
bribes in India, and has now expanded to Kenya, Indonesia, Pakistan and
Zimbabwe.

Closer to home charities, campaigners and fundraisers are using
technology to create a generation of global citizens, who alongside
being American, Cubs fans and New Yorkers, also see themselves as part
of the wider world, and people who will stand up and use their money,
their networks, and their voices to ensure that we create a world
without extreme poverty.

It's in this vein that we recently launched Global Citizen,
a new platform for people here in the U.S. and around the world to
learn more about the progress that's being made in international
development and take action to build the movement to end extreme poverty
forever. Combining articles, videos and infographics about the issues
with actions like signing petitions, sharing to social networks and
donating, Global Citizens can earn points for taking action, and, over
time, get access to rewards that recognize their contributions.

Since the launch of Global Citizen
42 days ago, it is clear that the issue of global poverty resonates
with everyday Americans. More than 70,000 users have signed up to take
action and earn tickets to the Global Citizen Festival on September 29. There have been more than 61,000 tweets using the hash-tag #GlobalCitizen in the past three weeks.